The Drover
by Emmint
Summary: Matt Dillon is shot in a case of mistaken identity, Elizabeth Walters finds him and takes him back to Dodge, they fall in love but it is ill-fated and he finds out just how good his friends really are.


As Elizabeth Walters rode her buckskin pony over the ridge; she saw the man lying on the ground, a buckskin horse stood close by, the man didn't move as she drew closer when she was close enough she could see that he had been shot and the badge pinned to his shirt told her he was the law. Elizabeth dismounted fetching her canteen she poured some water onto her bandana, and wiped his face. He opened his eyes, looking unsteadily at her. "What's your name?" she asked.

"Matt Dillon, I'm a United States Marshal in Dodge City," Elizabeth nodded; she helped him to sit up propping him against a tree stump. "What about you?"

"I'm Elizabeth Walters, friends call me Ellie," she pressed her bandana into the wound in his shoulder. "Hold that," Matt obeyed her wordlessly, "do you know who shot you?" he shook his head.

"I don't even know why, I was returning from a routine patrol around the local ranches."

"Nobody likes thief-takers, well not where I come from."

"Where do you come from and what is a thief-taker?"

"Originally?" Matt nodded, "London, England. My parents moved the family to New York when I was fourteen, then four years later we moved to Texas. We had a small ranch, but drought, floods, rustlers and Indian raids, cost us the ranch, and a thief-taker in England is a policeman, the law," he noticed that her accent was a peculiar blend of Texan and English.

"How come you..."

"How come I was riding this way?" Matt nodded. "Pure luck, my old china, pure luck. How far is Dodge from here?"

"About half a day."

"Too late to start now, I don't think you'll bleed to death, but no sense in taking chances. We can wait till morning to get you to Dodge," Matt nodded, he watched as she got his bedroll and saddlebags then got her own. She got a fire going and started brewing coffee, she placed a bag of sugar by his side and got some bacon out and started frying that and some beans. She dished up the food and coffee; "Help yourself to the sugar," she herself took one small spoonful of the sugar. After the meal she unsaddled both horses and helped him lean forward so that she could place his horse's saddle behind him to use as a pillow, and then placed hers nearby.

"You make good coffee." Matt looked at her horse noting the patch of black round one eye, "What do you call your horse?"

"You really think I make good coffee?" he nodded, "you'll have to tell my dad that, he and mum now run a store in El Paso. I call my horse Patch cause of his eye, the rest of the time I call him all the name's under the sun." Matt laughed, which made him cough.

"What do you do?"

"Me, I'm a drover, just hire out at roundup make my money, and move on."

"My good luck you were riding through this way."

"Yeah, let's get some rest," Matt nodded and soon they slept, not deeply both were used to sleeping lightly one because she was used to guarding cattle and the other guarded people.

* * *

Elizabeth woke first and made some more coffee, "Coffee up, Marshal." She cooked up some breakfast and resaddled the horses; she packed the saddlebags and placed them back on each horse. Elizabeth helped Matt to get up, he stood swaying uncertainly, no way could he sit astride his horse on his own and she couldn't put him on hers cause Patch didn't like carrying two people. She helped him up onto his horse, and then got up behind him; he didn't protest he was too weak to argue.

Elizabeth nudged the gelding forward she led her buckskin on a lead rope to one-side, they kept a slow pace, she didn't want to jolt Matt Dillon's shoulder too much. Every now and then she spoke to him, if he nodded his head she knew he was conscious, around four hours had passed he swayed in the saddle, she tightened her arms around him. "Marshal, steady there," no response. "Damnation!" Ahead of her she could just see the outline of Dodge City, the gelding had stopped she nudged him back into a walk, reaching the outskirts around noon.

Festus looked up the street; "Golly gee," he ran up the stairs, calling for Doc Adams, he burst into the Doc's surgery, Doc jumped spilling his coffee and splashing some of it on his hands.

"Gosh, darn it, Festus, how many times have I got to tell you not to do that."

"But, Matt's been hurt; a drifter's bringing him in."

"Out of my way Festus, how come you're always in my way," Doc grabbed his bag and ran down the stairs to the street. He looked up the street, Elizabeth was asking the way, a townsman pointed to where Doc stood, she nodded and nudged the horse forward and continued on, the townsfolk following in her wake.

"Doc?" Doc Adams nodded watching silently as Elizabeth dropped the left rein so the men could get his friend down off the horse. She stepped down from the gelding and took her rifle and saddlebags from Patch. Kitty Russell had rushed across from The Long Branch and knelt by Matt's side, her questioning look drew an equally baffled one from Doc.

"Where'd you find him?" Festus asked.

"East of here, late last night; too late to bring him in then didn't want the horse to stumble and jolt him too much."

"Did he say what happened?"

"Only that he was on the way back from a routine tour of the local ranches, when someone shot him."

"I'll see to the horses," Festus said taking the reins.

"Thanks, where can I get a drink and something to eat," Kitty stood up.

"Go over to The Long Branch, tell Sam my bartender that you are to have whatever you like on the house, tell him Kitty sent you."

"Thanks," Elizabeth walked to The Long Branch, she entered the place was quiet, she went to the bar. "Are you Sam," Sam nodded, "Kitty sent me, said I could have whatever I want on the house?"

"Are you the one who brought the Marshal in?" Elizabeth nodded. "What can I do for you?"

"I'll have steak, veg, and a bottle of whiskey."

"Sure, I'll bring the steak over when it's ready;" he handed Elizabeth a bottle of whiskey which he uncorked and a glass. Elizabeth chose a corner table, sitting with her back to the wall. Sam was ready to bring the meal over to her, when Kitty came back in.

"I'll take that Sam," Kitty picked up the meal and cutlery and brought it over to Elizabeth.

"How is he?" Elizabeth said, pouring herself a whiskey. "You look like you need a drink," she proffered the glass to Kitty.

"I'm fine and he's going to be okay, thanks to you; you won't be able to buy drinks here for a bit."

"I take it he's well liked."

"Yes, this town owes him big time. His gun has helped keep the peace here for some time now. He's had to kill from time to time but he doesn't like it. Were you coming in this direction?"

"Yes, I was heading home to Texas; my parents run a store in El Paso."

"But not you?"

"Nope, I'm a drover, been that since my folks lost our ranch and moved into El Paso. City living ain't for me, I like the open spaces too much for that."

"What will you do when you've seen your parents?"

"Roundup starts in Arizona, just after that, they got some good looking herds there this time of year. I get to see some old friends and pass the time of day with new ones."

"Anywhere near Tucson?"

"It's possible depends on who's hiring."

"Matt was in Tucson four years ago."

"Seems I heard about that, I'm engaged to a foreman of one of the ranches near El Paso and he used to work on a ranch near Tucson around the same time. One day we will set a day, but Bill's hard to pin down when it comes right down to it."

"In other words a typical male," Elizabeth nodded.

"One day, I'm just going to frogmarch him to the church," Kitty laughed. "I think I'll pop over to the Doc's to see if he's awake," Elizabeth rose and made her way over to the Doc's.

* * *

She walked up the stairs and knocked, Doc let her in. "How is he?"

"Still unconscious, but he'll live thanks to you."

"Doc!" Matt called out; they went in to the room where Matt lay in bed. "How long have I been here?"

"A couple of hours, you'd be dead if it weren't for Elizabeth."

"You don't have to tell me. Howdy, Ellie."

"Howdy yourself, Matt."

"When can I get out of here, Doc?"

"Tomorrow, if you rest today," Matt looked a little disgruntled, but he knew better than to argue with Doc.

From outside a figure looked up at the window, he guessed the marshal would be in bed, so the other two figures would be the Doc and Elizabeth Walters. The figure that was stooped he thought must be the Doc due to his having to bend over patients a lot. He drew his pistol and fired at the more erect form, the shattering glass made her duck. "Hey, that liked to have ventilated me," Elizabeth said. "I think you were shot by mistake."

"Looks like it might be that way, but why?"

"A job I was on two years ago, I found one of the hands of the ranch was stealing money from the other hands, cause until we caught him red-handed they thought it was one of the drovers. It could be that he's trailing me, you and me both ride buckskins, at a distance he wouldn't a known that your horse wasn't Patch."

"So you figure that he shot me, instead of you," she nodded. "You're bigger than me, but at a distance? Plus your size probably helped save you, now that bullet would've shattered my shoulder and maybe more," Doc nodded.

"That's an all too distinct possibility."

"I'd better protect you, so I've got to get out of here," Doc noticed that Matt some strong feelings for Elizabeth.

"No, both of you stay here, at least until tomorrow," besides Doc thought it wasn't often Matt showed any interest in something other than the law.

"Okay, Doc, but only until tomorrow," Matt was definitely not happy about it. "What do we do in the meantime?"

"Read a book or something."

"Me," Elizabeth said, "read a book that's a laugh, don't have much use for books, cept for the good book and I only need that on a Sunday," Matt chuckled.

"You two are just two peas in a pod, but you're still going to stay here tonight." Doc stomped out muttering on how he had better things to do than cater for them.

"Is he always so cantankerous?"

"He's just Doc," Matt watched her as she pulled off her boots and pants, then his senses went into overdrive when she climbed into bed with him. "Don't you think you're playing with fire?"

"Nope, and if you think I'm not going to take advantage of a bed to sleep in think again." Matt pulled her so that she lay on top of him her legs parted so she straddled him, then he kissed her deep enough that she wondered what she'd ever seen in Bill, who had only ever kissed her on the mouth once and that only a peck compared to this. She pushed down on his length.

"Shouldn't have done that?" she nodded. "You could get with child?" she nodded again, knowing that it was unlikely.

"You do know that Miss Kitty's in love with you?" Matt nodded, "why don't you ask her to marry you?" he shrugged because the plain truth was he didn't have a good reason or not one that made any sense even to him. "You know I think you don't want her to cry over your grave if you get killed," that too, he thought, how come Elizabeth could see that. "Rubbish, she'll still cry over it," his hand caressed Elizabeth.

"Maybe I will ask her one day."

"I know your sort you ask a lady when it's too late to start a family."

"And you don't you want a family?"

"Yeah, one day, but a Doc in England once told my parents that I might not ever have kids cause I had mumps when I was eight," Matt kissed away her tears, she fell asleep in his arms.

* * *

Waking early Matt noticed that she was now curled by his side, he smiled in the darkness, there was something about the way she lay that made her seem vulnerable. He disentangled himself and moved off the bed, he found his clothes and dressed quietly, he let himself out of the room.

"Morning Doc," Matt said.

"Now, I didn't say you could get up! Have some coffee!"

"Doc, could having mumps cause a woman to become barren?"

"If they had a case severe enough, why?"

"Ellie, she told me a doctor told her parents when she was eight that she might never have kids."

"She had mumps?" Matt nodded. "There is a chance that she might have children, but it's difficult, mumps can cause a woman to have miscarriages."

"Must be hard on a woman."

"It can be, but she seems pretty resilient," Matt nodded, they fell silent as the door opened and Elizabeth came in the office. "Coffee, young lady?"

"Actually, you know what I could just go for is a cup of Rosie Lee," she replied.

"What in tarnation is Rosie Lee?"

"Tea, Doc. I was born within the sound of Bow Bells, makes me a Cockney. Cockney's have their own way of talking, it's called Rhyming Slang."

"When you found me and you said my old china, what's that?"

"In full it's my old china plate, it means mate," Matt smiled. "Cockney's dress up on high days and holidays in suits covered in pearl buttons. They're called Pearly Kings and Queens; you should see my mum and dad on the Fourth of July and Thanksgiving." Outside a figure watched again, damn it still three people up there.

"Not dead yet, bitch! Know what I ain't going to kill you, I'm going to El Paso to kill your folks!"

"Well that tears it?" Matt restrained her.

"A gun never solved anything, and you don't look like a gunfighter."

"Looks can be deceiving I just don't want a reputation. I've seen too many young cowpokes die cause they challenged the wrong man or woman." Matt looked at her quizzically. "Okay, watch," her gun just appeared in her hand she holstered it again.

"I'd think twice about challenging you. Does he know how fast you are?"

"Yeah, which is why he's tried ambush, and now threatens my folks, Matt, much as I'd like to keep my gun holstered I might just have to fill him with lead? I won't kill him; I might just cripple the S O B."

"How?" Doc asked.

"Gangs in England and Ireland, anyone offends their rules, get kneecapped."

"Kneecapped?"

"They shoot them in the knees, he wouldn't be walking after that," Matt gave her a queer look. "I wasn't in any of the gangs, but I wouldn't be above using their methods to stop him from coming after me or going after my folks."

"Well, I can understand that, but let me talk to him first, see if I can persuade him to leave you and your folks in peace."

"He's just spent six months in the Wyoming State Jail cause of me, if he does leave town, I have a horrible feeling he'll still go after my folks."

"It's possible. Is Dallas Stoudenmire still in the Texas Rangers down there?"

"You know him?" Matt nodded.

"A long time ago, it seems like it anyway. I'll wire him warn him to watch out for your folks. What's the name of the man after you?"

"Ted Dexter, he was always a mean one, always on the prod. If we hadn't caught him stealing he'd a been fired soon enough."

"Right! Wait here, I'll be back," Matt didn't know why he did it, but as he left he dropped a kiss on her mouth, Doc smiled and shook his head. Matt walked down the stairs onto the street, stopping when he saw the cowpoke riding on a red paint.

* * *

"You, Ted Dexter?"

"What's it to you, Marshal?" Ted replied in a surly tone of voice.

"Now, don't you take that tone of voice with me, son. You shot me once, by mistake. Ellie has told me all about you. I should warn you I'm going to send a wire to a man I know Dallas Stoudenmire, he's a Texas Ranger, ask him to keep an eye on Ellie's folks, so you do anything to harm them. He won't be talking like me he'll take it out of your hide."

"You mean me threatening them?" Matt nodded. "That was only to force her to come out to me. I only threaten those not closely concerned. You tell her I'm waiting here for her?"

"No, you're not, you're mounted, ride out of Dodge and don't come back."

"I shot you, don't you even want me in your jail?"

"No, I don't even want you in the same state as Ellie, so you leave Dodge and keep riding."

"That bitch cost me six months, I intend to make her pay!"

"You might find that harder to do than you think; I've seen how fast she is with that gun," Matt couldn't keep how he felt about Elizabeth out of his eyes.

"So, you like her? Well, I intend to see her dead and if that means waiting till she leaves town, so be it and hopefully I'll get you too."

"Get out of here, before I forget myself and shoot you!" Ted laughed and rode off yelling that he'd be waiting for her down the road.

* * *

Matt ran up the stairs, when he got into Doc's office he shocked Doc by hauling off and kissing Elizabeth hard. "Now, who's playing with fire?" she said, then kissed him back.

"I'm going for a drink leave you two to it!" Doc left them alone, Matt held her close he didn't know why but he was scared that he might lose her; he lifted her into his arms and carried her into the bedroom.

Doc entered the Long Branch and went to the bar. "Whiskey, Sam?"

"Sure thing, Doc," Sam put a glass on the bar and poured a tot of whiskey into it. Kitty Russell came and stood next to him.

"I saw Matt just now; saw him warn that young fella off," Doc nodded.

"Is Ted Dexter right, Matt's got feelings for her?"

"Yeah, you know him, doesn't happen often, not to him anyway," Kitty nodded. "I know you love him too."

"I love him enough to let him make his own way, because I'll take him being a friend even if I can't have him as a lover. Where are they?"

"Well, right now, he might be availing himself of my backroom."

"Gone that far has it?" Kitty found herself thinking that Elizabeth might not be frogmarching her Bill to the church, and wondering what would happen if she got Matt to church instead. The door banged open as Festus entered a puzzled look on his face as usual.

"Doc, I know'd I see'd Matt outside just now, running that young yahoo out of town, but I ain't see'd him since. Have you see'd him?"

"Why, is he needed?"

"No, but he ain't in his office," Doc shook his head.

"Festus, there are times when people want time to themselves. Now you leave them alone."

"You mean Matt and Elizabeth, they're..."

"Look, Festus, what do you think they are plaster saints; Matt does a job that no one wants and he's had to miss out on a lot to do it. He's had a lonely life up till now; you let him work this out for himself."

Up in Doc's backroom, Matt and Elizabeth lay wrapped in each other's arms. "Ellie, I don't want you to leave," Matt said as he caressed her.

"What would I do here?"

"Marry me, I want you to have my kids," tears glistened in her eyes, he kissed them away. "Doc told me you might still have kids, just might be a little harder. I love you, it won't matter even if we don't have kids, we could adopt." She kissed him to stop him from talking, he held her tighter.

"Matt, do you mean that, you really want me to marry you?"

"Yes, I mean it, I want to have you all of you forever."

"Let's get married soon, Matt?" He hugged her close, they rose and dressed again.

"We'll go tell Doc and Miss Kitty!" Holding hands they descended to the street they were crossing when they heard a galloping horse, then gunshots and Matt felt a searing pain shoot through his side, he turned his head, to see Elizabeth lying there just tore him apart, he scrambled to her side gathering her in his arms. Newly came running from his store, while Doc, Kitty and Festus came from the Long Branch.

"Oh, God," Kitty said, crouching by his side, his tears told her everything. Doc examined Elizabeth, and shook his head.

"Newly, Festus, get Matt to my office," Festus and Newly took Elizabeth's body from his arms, pulling him up and to the stairs, he struggled but Doc had had other men remove her body already. Once Doc was up in his office, Festus and Newly went down to the street.

"Now, you all saw how Matthew felt about Elizabeth, I want a posse ready to go immediately." Festus of all people, Kitty thought, to get the right thing set up. "Newly, being as how I'm the better tracker, I want you to stay and watch over the town," Newly nodded.

"I know where Matt's friend Tobeel is; Festus, do you want me to get him?" Newly asked.

"Yes, couldn't hurt to have another tracker, and I know he'll want to help. Get in touch with the Mastersons' tell em what's happened they can either help you or join the posse. Now, I'm only goin' to say this once, I don't care how long it takes we are going to find that S O B, and we will see him hang for this." Men ran to get their horses and arm themselves.

* * *

"Doc?" Kitty questioned, as Doc worked on Matt, probing for the bullet.

"I don't know, Kitty, I just don't know," Kitty wiped the beads of sweat from Matt's forehead; she hated seeing him like this. Doc made Matt take some laudanum, Doc was muttering about how he'd like to take a scalpel to Ted Dexter's hide. To Kitty it seemed to take forever for Doc to remove the bullet, in reality only fifteen minutes.

"Why Doc, what makes people like that?"

"I don't know Kitty, insanity isn't something I know about, I can fix most things, but the mind isn't studied by country doctors. In Europe they are making attempts to understand the mind, but not here, not yet." Kitty assisted Doc to get Matt to bed, she stood watching him toss, calling for Ellie. Unable to bare it anymore she went out and down to the street, people looked up at her, she shook her head, and she didn't know what to say to them. She crossed to the now relatively quiet Long Branch; the Mastersons' now propped up the bar. "Bat, James, Bob," they smiled wanly at her, a good friend could be dying for all they knew.

"How is he?"

"He's holding his own," she served them all beers and whiskey chasers. She was glad that they were here to help Newly and not out with the posse. "Matt wanted to marry, Ellie, he had hope in his life."

"Who is this Ted Dexter?"

"From what I can glean from Doc, Dexter hated Ellie because she caught him stealing from other hands on a roundup in Wyoming, he got six months in state prison."

"I hope they catch him and hang him right here in Dodge, and if they can't get a hangman I'll pull the trap myself," Bat said, Newly came in and walked up to the bar, his usual happy demeanour replaced by a sadness he couldn't put into words. "Newly," Bat said in greeting.

"Bat."

"I can't believe this has happened, it doesn't seem fair."

"Believe it, Bat, all we can do is pray for him, and keep this city at peace."

"I don't think we'll have much trouble, they all seem subdued for the moment." Indeed the patrons were quiet but then most of them were in the posse.

"Festus said he was going to get the judge to swear out a fugitive warrant out for Ted Dexter. Means if he crosses into Mexico they can go after him. Besides there are one or two Mexican officers that know and respect Matt."

"I remember and some of the bandits down there like him too. He may think he's safe in Mexico," James said.

"Yeah, he may relax only to find that he's still being hunted," Bob said.

Up in his backroom, Doc sat wondering what made people the way they were, he didn't receive any answers. As he watched Matt toss, calling for Elizabeth, he realised just how much Matt had loved her, he also realised that it was going to take a long time for Matt to get over losing her like that.

* * *

The posse was well south of Dodge and camped for the night, Tobeel stood guard for the first three hours with Festus. "Marshal good man," Tobeel said, "Friend to Tobeel, Friend to Kiowa. I help you catch him. Other Kiowa they catch him, they kill him."

A week later the posse approached the border, Captain Julio Chavez watched them arrive with Sergeant Rivera. Festus showed the warrant to Chavez. "This man, what has he done?"

"You know Matt Dillon?"

"Oh, Si, I consider him a friend, we both do."

"Ted Dexter, the man named on that there warrant, he done murdered a girl, Matt was sweet on, and he shot Matt."

"Is Señor Matteo..."

"No, but it's touch and go if he lives," Festus explained how Matt met Elizabeth.

"Sergeant Rivera you will keep watch here, I will go with you to my cousin Major Diaz, he will want to help you, I will make sure he does." Chavez mounted his horse and joined the posse. "I remember when he first came to me; I have the most excellent wife because he introduced us. I am now a captain because of his help. Have you got a good tracker?"

"We got two, what I means is that I'm a fairly good tracker and Tobeel there is a full blood Kiowa."

"This is good, why is a Kiowa helping you?"

"Tobeel is a friend of Matt's."

"Then we will consider him a friend too." The posse moved on with Chavez until they got to a Rurales outpost nearby. "Cousin! These men have come to arrest a gringo called Ted Dexter."

"And why should that interest the Rurales?"

"This Ted Dexter killed the fiancé of Matteo Dillon, you remember my friend?" Diaz nodded.

"I remember, a good man this Matteo Dillon."

"Si, this gringo outlaw also shot Matteo Dillon," Diaz looked up sharply.

"He is not..."

"No, Festus says that it is touch and go, though."

"Julio, get the men ready. Señores, the Rurales will ride with you. We will gather help from the local ranchos perhaps the vaqueros have seen this man," Major Diaz rose and led them outside, they remounted while the Rurales got their mounts ready then set out at a gallop to the first rancho.

* * *

Doc was at a loss to know what to do, Matt just didn't seem to show any signs of waking, and now a fever had set in. Miss Kitty came in with a meal for him. "Doc, you go eat that meal, I'll watch Matt for you?"

"I don't know Miss Kitty, I thought for sure he would've woken by now, and now this fever."

"You eat, Doc, I'll call you if his fever breaks, it's got to break. I don't know what Dodge will do without him," Bat came in just then one glance at the bed told him that there was no change, if anything he thought the fever was worse.

"The posse's coming back, the Rurales are with them and some vaqueros, they got Ted Dexter. He's hurt pretty bad."

"Good, I hope every bone in his body is broken," Doc said, "because setting those bones will be painful and it would please me greatly to be the cause of his pain."

"Are you the doctor, Señor?"

"I am, Captain..."

"I am Captain Julio Chavez," Chavez looked at the bed, he saw how it was with Matt and knew only one way to get the fever down quickly. "I am the amigo of Matteo Dillon."

"He told me about you," Doc said.

"I watched my father when my mother was as sick; he saved her by bathing her in ice cold water."

"Kind of kill or cure, I suppose, it might work," Doc dragged his bath out. "You'd better leave while we do this, Kitty."

"Doc, you heal him up, we're all praying for him," Kitty left the men carried bucket after bucket of water from the nearby trough and from every pump in the town. They filled the bath and set other buckets nearby. Chavez stripped Matt down, then he and Doc lifted Matt and plunged him under the water, they held him there while Bat poured the other buckets over him. Now they wrapped him in blankets and lifted him into bed again, they rubbed his shivering body until he stopped shaking.

"Now, Señores, we watch and pray for him. Señor Doctor you have been watching a long time, I will watch him you go and rest." Doc had to agree that he was tired, yet he didn't want to leave his friend. "Señor Doctor, you will be of no use to him if you do not rest."

"Come on, Doc, Captain Chavez is right," Bat said. "We'll get you a room in the Dodge House," Bat led Doc out. Chavez sat in Doc's chair watching, silently praying that his friend would live; Diaz joined him an hour later.

"How is our Amigo?" Chavez shrugged.

"It is difficult to say, we have got his fever down a little." Matt tossed, calling for Ellie. Chavez dampened a cloth and lay it over Matt's forehead. Two hours later, Chavez noticed that Matt was quiet, he checked Matt's pulse it was steady and strong. He smiled and prodded Diaz, who woke immediately. "Matt is okay, he is just sleeping," Diaz sat back in the chair and sighed. Doc came in he saw Matt was quiet and examined him.

"Thank God, now all he has to do is wake up," Matt opened his eyes.

"I'd have more chance of sleeping in the Long Branch on a Friday night."

"Matt! You're awake, thank God!"

"Where's Ellie?"

"Matt, we buried her?" Tears ran down his face, Doc sat on the bed his heart ached to see Matt's pain.

"How long have I been laid up?"

"Three weeks, Matt."

"But I've got to go after him."

"Matt, look around you," Matt looked at Doc, then he saw Chavez and Diaz.

"Julio, what are the Rurales doing here?" Chavez came on sat on his other side.

"We came back with the posse and some vaqueros from Rancho Rivera; you do not need to go after Ted Dexter, he is now in jail here in Dodge. He will hang if your Gringo law has any sense." Chavez hadn't expected to do this, but he lifted Matt into his arms and allowed him to cry.

* * *

Chavez sat in the courthouse alongside Matt during the trial, he watched concerned as Matt gave his evidence. He could see that everyone in the jury was concerned for Matt, after giving evidence, Matt came and sat beside him, Chavez placed a hand on Matt's shoulder; sitting behind Matt were Elizabeth's parents, Matt had expected them to blame him, but they never did, instead they had been happy that she'd found love, it had turned out that Bill had been having an affair with his bosses daughter. Doc gave evidence next and then the other witnesses. The judge advised the jury on what the law was and what it covered. Chavez watched the jury as they talked quietly among themselves, then the foreman stood up.

"Your honor, we don't have to retire. Everybody has testified that they saw this man riding away and Matt said he saw him shoot him and Elizabeth Walters and that's good enough for us. That man is as guilty as sin."

"Now, Mr Edwards, you know you are just supposed to say Guilty or Not Guilty, we must have the proper form."

"Sorry, your honor. We find the defendant Guilty on both counts."

"Defendant will rise," Dexter just laughed.

"Mr Masterson," Bat looked up, "get the Defendant on his feet," Bat hauled Dexter to his feet.

"You stand when the judge tells you to," Bat said.

"Mr Dexter," the judge said. "You have been tried and found guilty of murder and attempted murder. You will be taken from the jail next week to the gallows and hung by the neck until dead. Personally I hope you rot in hell. Get him out of here?"

"With the greatest of pleasure, your honor," Bat and Bob dragged Dexter from the court.

Matt was still weak, so Chavez and Doc assisted Matt back up to Doc's backroom and got him back in bed. "Chavez, when will you be going back to Mexico?"

"Not yet, I have told my cousin that I will return when you are well again. You are lucky to have such good friends. I even like Festus, though I do not understand him half the time."

"Not a lot of people do, but you're right he's a good man."

"Get some rest, I will come back to see you later. Doctor," Chavez left quietly, he entered the Long Branch.

"Captain Chavez, is Matt resting?"

"Si, Señorita Kitty, have a drink?"

"With pleasure, Sam, two beers." Sam brought the beer to them.


End file.
